Warning! I'm On My Soapbox Today! - Trench Warfare - Other blogs - Social Work Blog

Warning! I'm On My Soapbox Today!

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As I was walking into the hospital last night, I noticed some new decorative elements on either side of the front doors (pic is soft, sorry).

Now, I know that a hospital is ultimately a business. I get that. But it's not as if one is entering the local mall when they come to a psychiatric hospital. They're coming for help.

It just seems so......crass.....to advertise on the front door that we accept Diner's Club International when one is crossing the threshold because they tried to overdose or slit their wrist. Or both.

Or is that just me?

I'm not in the mood to get all philosophical today, but I think this picture crystallizes the problem with American health care. One should not have to be concerned about where the money is going to come from when a loved one becomes either physically or mentally ill. One should not have to worry about how much their insurance premiums are going to rise in a given year. One should not be concerned about having to find a job immediately when they've been laid off in a wretched economy because they equally need not only the money (which is a given), but the health care benefit since they have a chronic illness and can't afford to manage it otherwise.

Health care is a right. A RIGHT. It is not something that should be available to only the middle and upper classes (you know, the classes that would qualify for and carry around a Diners Club International card.) It is not a service that that should bankrupt people. It is not a service that should be left in the hands of the private sector, because ultimately, greed takes over.

News flash: America does not have the best health care system in the world. Actually, we ranked #37 after the World Health Organization completed a study a few years ago. And here's a little nugget that's the most telling of all: we were last in all measures of fairness they studied because we have the largest gap in the quality of care offered to wealthy versus poor citizens.

And then we have attitudes like this one top of everything else.

I'm sorry, but for a hospital to essentially advertise "Great news! You can go into debt to pay us!" is just wrong. ->